Ride for fun fairs

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a ride for a fun fair. It includes an upright to which two first arms are coupled, each of which oscillates on a vertical oscillation plane. The oscillation planes are parallel and located on opposite sides of the upright. A capsule is associated to each arm and oscillates solidly therewith. The capsule affords space to a plurality of passengers on board. The upright rotates about a vertical axis (y--y) thereof, so that during operation the oscillation planes of the arms rotate about the vertical axis solidly with the upright.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a ride for fun fairs. In particular theinvention relates to a ride comprising an upright to which two arms areassociated with ability to perform a pendular oscillation. Each of thetwo arms oscillates on a respective oscillation plane, the twooscillation planes being located on opposite sides of the upright. Acapsule, capable of containing a plurality of passengers, is associatedto each arm and is solid in rotation therewith.

BACKGROUND ART

A ride of this type is present in the prior art, in which each capsuleis constituted by a closed cockpit inferiorly provided with a floor andinside which there are seats for passengers. When the ride is stationaryand in boarding position, the passengers enter the cockpit and onsitting down are rendered secure in their seats, resting their feet onthe floor of the cockpit. During the ride, the arms are commanded tooscillate with growing amplitude up until the cockpits are upside-down;these movements afford the passengers pleasurable sensations.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,328,852 shows an amusement ride apparatus comprising twoarms each of which is able to perform pendular oscillations onoscillation planes located on opposite sides of the upright. A part ofthe upright is able to rotate about an axis of rotation and theoscillation planes are able to rotate solidly with the part thereof. Theapparatus comprises means for commanding a rotation of the rotatablepart of the upright. Passenger carriages, each equipped with suitableseats, are made to pass along a complex orbit which is a combination ofrotary movements about both horizontal and vertical axes. FR-A-927 088discloses a ride for fun fairs having an upright to which two arms areassociated with ability to perform a pendular oscillation and providinga part of the upright which is able to rotate.

DE-U-94 20 530 discloses a swing-type fairground amusement ride havingspoke-type rotor rotatably driven by a motor around a horizontal shaft,with a passenger carrier formed as circular arc segment at an end of aspoke. The passenger carrier is equipped with seats which are arrangedin a radial direction on the under side of the passenger carrier andprovide the passengers with freely hanging foot positions. Thepassengers during rotation are pressed against their seats bycentrifugal force.

WO-A-9113661 relates to a roundabout which comprises a vertical mastwith two tubular gondolas associated thereto, wherein the passengers aresubjected to a complete revolution about a vertical axis and a completerevolution about a horizontal axis.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a ride of theabove-mentioned type which can offer the passengers new sensations withrespect to the prior art. This aim is achieved by the ride of theinvention, as it is characterised in the claims.

An advantage of the present invention is that it attains the set aimwhile being constructionally simple and economical.

A further advantage is that the ride is extremely safe for thepassengers.

A still further advantage is that the ride can carry a high number ofpassengers as well as rapid and easy boarding and alighting.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention willbetter emerge from the detailed description that follows of anembodiment of the invention, illustrated by way of example and not to beconsidered limiting in the accompanying figures of the drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic vertical-elevation perspective view of theride;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic lateral view of a detail of the ride.

With reference to the figures, 1 denotes in its entirety a ride for afun fair, comprising an upright 2, or vertical column, provided with abase 3 which can rest on the ground or can be mounted on a frame, suchas for example a transporter truck.

The ride further comprises a pair of first arms 4 and 5, each of whichis associated to the upright 2 and can perform pendular oscillationsthere-about. Each of the first arms 4 and 5 oscillates on a respectivevertical oscillation plane. The oscillation planes are distanced onefrom another and located on opposite sides of the upright 2. Each firstarm 4 and 5 can perform oscillations of a growing amplitude up to alimit of a complete rotation, leading to the upturning of the first armsand, as will become clearer hereinbelow, an upturning also of thepassengers travelling on the ride.

The two first arms 4 and 5 oscillate about a horizontal axis x--x commonto both. The oscillation pivots, which are coaxial, of the first armsare situated at the upper end of the upright 2. The first arms 4 and 5are commanded to oscillate in opposing directions: when one armoscillates in a given direction, the other will oscillate in theopposite direction. FIG. 1 shows a configuration assumed by the ride 1during use. 8 and 9 denote the swinging directions of the first arms 4and 5.

A capsule 6 is associated to each of the first arms 4 and 5 and is solidin oscillation thereto. Each capsule 6 affords seating for a pluralityof passengers, and is fixed to an end of a relative first arm 4 or 5while a counterweight 7 is arranged at the other end of the relativefirst arm 4 or 5. The motor for commanding the oscillations of the firstarms 4 and 5 is of known type and not represented in the figure.

According to the invention, the upright 2 can rotate about an axis y--ywhich is preferably vertical and located in the space comprised betweenthe two oscillation planes, so that during operation the oscillationplanes of the first arms 4 and 5 both rotate about the rotation axisy--y, solidly with the upright.

For this reason the upright 2, in the example in FIG. 1, is rotatablymounted by means of a fifth wheel of known type 50 on the base 3, andcan rotate about axis y--y on command of a motor of known type 60.

Preferably the upright 2 is mounted on the base 3 in such a way that thevertical rotation axis y--y corresponds to the geometric axis of theupright 2 itself and is arranged halfway between the two first arms 4and 5 and is normally incident to their common rotation axis x--x.

The upright 2 can also, selectively, assume a first configuration,lowered, for loading and unloading passengers, in which configurationthe capsules 6 are relatively close to the base 3 of the upright 2, anda second configuration, raised, which is a working configuration, inwhich the lowest point reached by the capsules 6 in their oscillatingmotion is relatively distant from the base 3 of the upright 2. Thismotion is indicated by arrow 70 in FIG. 1. For this purpose the upright2 can be, for example, of a telescopic type. Each capsule 6 comprises asecond arm 10, solid to a relative first arm 4 or 5 and situated at aperipheral end thereof. The second arm 10 extends prevalently along theoscillation plane of the relative first arm 4 or 5 and is practicallyperpendicular to the first arm 4 or 5.

According to the invention, a plurality of support elements 11 areassociated each to one of the second arms 10. Each of the supportelements 11 can receive one passenger, leaving the passenger's legs freeand suspended. The support elements 11 are arranged in a line parallelto the relative second arm 10.

Each support element 11 comprises, solid to the second arm 10, a bar 12,more or less perpendicular to the second arm 10 and developing in adirection which is radial and external-facing with respect to the secondarm 10. At least one seat 13, also more or less perpendicular to the bar12, is associated thereto. In the example each bar 12 solidly bears fourseats 13 arranged two by two in such a way that a passenger seated on aseat 13 can be sitting next to another passenger with a furtherpassenger seated back-to-back.

The functioning of the ride is as follows: first, in the initialconfiguration, the passengers can board or alight and the arms arestationary in the vertical position with the capsules 6 in loweredposition; then the upright is raised into the second configuration. FIG.2 shows (in a broken line) some support elements 11 with the upright 2in the first, lowered configuration.

Then the upright 2 is rotated about the vertical axis y--y and the firstarms 4 and 5 are caused to oscillate with growing amplitude up to amaximum oscillation in which the passengers are upturned completely andthe arm proceeds to make a complete rotation.

In a further embodiment of the invention, not illustrated, the uprightcomprises a first, lower part, rigidly fixed to the base, and a second,superior part, rotatably coupled to the first part by means of a thrustbearing rotatable about the axis y--y of the upright. The first arms areoscillatably pivoted (at either side of the upright) so that duringoperation, as in the first embodiment, the capsule motion comprises acomposition of two movements constituted by a pendular oscillation withan upturning followed by a complete rotation about vertical axis y--y.The thrust bearing can be located, on the upright, in any intermediateposition between the base and the upper end bearing the pivots of thefirst arms. The most important factor is that the first arms 4 and 5 andconsequently the capsules can rotate about axis y--y and add thisrotation to their other, pendular, motion.

The raising and lowering movement of the upright of the ride guaranteesboth ease of boarding and alighting on the part of the passengers andthe operational safety of the ride. With the upright in the raisedconfiguration, the passengers do not run the risk of bumping their feetagainst the base of the ride. Alternatively, a boarding footplate couldbe used at the boarding and alighting stage. The footplate would then bedistanced so that the passengers would not risk bumping against themwith their feet.

The ride affords the passengers special sensations, due primarily to thecombination of the above-mentioned motions, that is, the first arms'rotation about axis y--y and swinging about axis x--x. There is thus asequence of normally unattainable positions. Further, the passengers onthe ride draw enjoyment from the experience of oscillating on verticalplanes while having their feet free, suspended and swinging.

A still different sensation is experienced by the passengers due to thefact of having their legs free and suspended and of having theimpression of being on board a capsule subjected to motion comprisingboth rotation and swinging.

All the above-described rides with pendular-swinging arms have two arms,for reasons of stability and balance of the ride itself. It is obviousthat the invention could be applied to a ride (not in existence)provided with one arm alone. Also obvious are the operative modalitiesof such a one-armed ride and the constructional differences that wouldbe required.

I claim:
 1. A ride for fun fairs, comprising:an upright (2); a pair offirst arms (4, 5) each of which is coupled to the upright (2) to performpendular oscillations on oscillation planes located on opposite sides ofthe upright (2), at least a part of the upright (2) to which said firstarms (4, 5) are coupled being rotable about an axis (y--y) of rotation,whereby the oscillation planes rotate with said at least a part of theupright (2); at least one capsule (6) coupled to each of said first arms(4, 5) for oscillation there with, said capsule (6) including placeson-board for a plurality of passengers; wherein each capsule (6)includes leg room wherein passengers on board have their legs free toswing, wherein each capsule (6) comprises a second arm (10) solidlyconnected to a respective one of said first arms (4, 5) and situated ata peripheral end therof, said second arms (10) including generally onthe oscillation plane of said first arms (4, 5), at least one row ofsupport elements (11) being associated and arranged parallel to each ofsaid second arms (10), each of said support elements (11) being able toreceive at least two passengers seated back to back.
 2. The ride as inclaim 1, characterized in that said axis (y--y) of rotation coincidesgenerally with an axial extension of the upright (2).
 3. The ride as inclaim 1, characterized in that the upright (2) is rotatably mounted on abase (3) to rotate about said axis (y--y) of rotation.
 4. The ride as inclaim 1, characterized in that the upright (2) comprises a fixed lowerpart, rotatably coupled to a rotating part of said upright (2).
 5. Theride as in claim 1, characterized in that said second arms (10) aresubstantially perpendicular to said first arms (4, 5).
 6. The ride as inclaims 1, characterized in that each support element (11) comprises: atleast one bar (12), solidly constrained to one of said second arms (10),which bar (12) is substantially perpendicular to said one of the secondarms (12) and which extends in a peripheral direction thereto; at leastone seat (13) being associated to said at least one bar (12), said atleast one seat (13) being positioned substantially perpendicular to saidat least one bar (12).
 7. The ride as in claim 1, characterized in thatsaid upright (2) selectively assumes a lowered first position forboarding and alighting of the passengers, in which first position the atleast one capsule (6) is relatively close to the base (3) of the upright(2), and a raised second position in which the ride operates, in whichsecond position a lowest point reached by the at least one capsule inits oscillating motion is relatively distant from said base (3) of saidupright (2).
 8. The ride as in preceding claim 1, characterized in thateach support element (11) comprises four seats (13) arranged two by twosuch that a passenger seated on a seat (13) sits next to anotherpassenger with another passenger seated back-to-back.